Sports Desk

UCLA has landed a transfer who could hasten Bob Chesney’s rebuilding efforts.

Wayne Knight verbally committed to following Chesney from James Madison to Westwood on Wednesday, giving the new Bruins coach a high-quality running back to pair with quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Showing what he could do on a national stage last month, Knight ran for 110 yards in 17 carries against Oregon in the College Football Playoff. It was the fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season for Knight on the way to being selected a first team All-Sun Belt Conference player.

Combining excellent speed with the toughness needed to break tackles, the 5-foot-6, 189-pound Knight led the conference with 1,357 rushing yards. He also made 40 catches for 397 yards and averaged 22.3 yards on kickoff returns and 9.5 yards on punt returns. His 2,039 all-purpose yards were a school record, helping him become an Associated Press second team All-American all-purpose player after ranking third nationally with 145.6 all-purpose yards per game.

Knight, who will be a redshirt senior next season in his final year of college eligibility, becomes the seventh player from James Madison to accompany Chesney to UCLA, joining wide receiver Landon Ellis, defensive back DJ Barksdale, tight end Josh Phifer, edge rusher Aiden Gobaira, right guard Riley Robell and offensive lineman JD Rayner.

UCLA also has received verbal commitments from Michigan wide receiver Semaj Morgan, Florida wide receiver Aidan Mizell, San Jose State wide receiver Leland Smith, Iowa State running back Dylan Lee, Boise State offensive tackle Hall Schmidt, Virginia Tech defensive back Dante Lovett, Iowa State defensive back Ta’Shawn James and California edge rusher Ryan McCulloch.

But no incoming player can match the production of Knight, whose highlights included a career-high 211 rushing yards — including a 73-yard touchdown — against Troy in the Sun Belt championship game, earning him most valuable player honors for the Dukes’ 31-14 victory.

Knight will join a group of running backs that includes senior Jaivian Thomas (294 yards rushing and one touchdown in 2025), redshirt senior Anthony Woods (294 yards rushing in 2025) and redshirt freshman Karson Cox (nine yards in two carries during his only appearance as a true freshman).

With Knight on board, the Bruins presumably have their starting running back in Year 1 under their new coach.

The Dodgers avoided arbitration with reliever Brusdar Graterol on Wednesday, reportedly agreeing to terms with the Venezuelan right-hander on a one-year, $2.8-million deal before Thursday’s deadline to avoid an arbitration hearing.

Graterol, 27, missed the 2025 season after undergoing surgery on the labrum in his right shoulder in November 2024. The $2.8-million figure is the same as his salary for last season.

After being acquired by the Dodgers in a 2020 trade that sent Kenta Maeda to the Minnesota Twins, he turned into a hard-throwing member of the team’s bullpen.

Graterol’s best season came in 2023 when he recorded a 1.20 earned-run average across 67.1 innings in 68 games, striking out 48 batters and walking 11.

Shoulder inflmmation and a hamstring strain limited Graterol to only seven appearances during the 2024 regular season — though he did pitch in three World Series games against the New York Yankees, including the clinching Game 5 — before he underwent shoulder surgery.

Graterol can become a free agent after the 2026 season.

The Dodgers have three other arbitration-eligible players who have until Thursday to agree to terms on a salary for next season: Left-hander Anthony Banda, outfielder Alex Call and right-hander Brock Stewart.

If any of the players cannot come to an agreement, the team and player must exchange salary figures and a hearing will be scheduled. Negotiations can continue until the date of the hearing.

When his team lost three consecutive games during what was shaping up as a rocky debut season, Mick Cronin made players and coaches go through practices without the UCLA logo on their tank tops and shorts.

There’s currently no need to strip anyone of anything.

This already looks nothing like what UCLA basketball is supposed to be.

The defense is lagging, the roster is lacking and nobody seems to know what to do about it.

A second consecutive loss has dropped the Bruins squarely into bubble territory for the NCAA tournament, somewhere a team that wears these four letters across its chest should never be. They are a middling 10-5 with no compelling victories and a .500 record early in Big Ten play.

Barring a major midseason course correction, UCLA is in danger of missing the only postseason tournament that matters for the second time in three seasons.

The last Bruins coach to survive that scenario was Ben Howland, who immediately entered the next season on the hot seat, his fate seemingly a fait accompli. Even a Pac-12 regular-season title couldn’t save Howland, who was dismissed after the Bruins lost in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

Cronin doesn’t appear in danger of a similar destiny given his recent contract extension that runs through the 2029-30 season. Unless both sides negotiated a settlement of his buyout or Cronin took a job elsewhere, UCLA would owe him $22.5 million if it moved on before April 1 and $18 million at the same point in 2027.

Since Cronin is probably going to be around for a while unless things completely bottom out, it’s far more productive to focus on what he needs to do to salvage his current conundrum. So here are five fixes designed to get a team that entered the season ranked No. 12 playing closer to expectations:

Calabasas pulled off a huge win in high school basketball on Tuesday night, handing Thousand Oaks its first defeat after 16 victories in a Marmonte League opener.

The Coyotes (13-5) have quietly turned around their season after a 2-4 start, winning 11 of their last 12 games.

One of the major contributors has been 6-foot-3 junior guard Johnny Thyfault, who’s averaging 16 points and has become a fan favorite because of his dunking skills. He also leads the team in taking charging fouls.

He transferred to Calabasas after his freshman year at Viewpoint.

As for beating Thousand Oaks, coach Jon Palarz said, “We got to play them at home and had great effort.”

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Playing without LeBron James, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, the Lakers wilted on the second night of a two-game trip, falling 107-91 to the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center.

With three starters out, Luka Doncic tried to will the Lakers to a victory with a 38-point, 10-rebound, 10 assist triple-double. He played 38 minutes and 20 seconds one night after playing 37 minutes and scoring 30 points in Tuesday’s win over the Pelicans..

James also scored 30 points in Tuesday’s win but sat out Wednesday with right sciatica and left foot arthritis. With him, Hachimura and Reaves out, the Lakers (23-12) had an average of 61 points sidelined.

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Lakers box score

NBA standings

Leonard can’t save Clippers from Knicks

Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points, 11 rebounds and a season-high seven assists, Jalen Brunson scored 26 points and the New York Knicks snapped their four-game losing streak with a 123-111 victory over the Clippers on Wednesday night.

Towns bounced back from a quiet game Monday in Detroit, when he took just four shots and had only six points and six turnovers in the Knicks’ 121-90 loss that gave them their longest losing streak of the season. This time, the center had 10 points in the fourth quarter to help the Knicks break open the game.

OG Anunoby added 20 points and Deuce McBride had 16 for the Knicks, who had a 24-7 run starting late in the third quarter and extending into the fourth to turn a four-point deficit into a 105-92 advantage.

Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points for the Clippers (13-23), who lost for just the second time in nine games. James Harden had 23 points and nine assists after sitting out Monday against Golden State because of right shoulder soreness.

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Clippers box score

Kings get swallowed by Sharks in overtime

William Eklund scored 3:08 into overtime, Macklin Celebrini had the tying goal and two assists to extend his point streak to 12 games, and the San Jose Sharks defeated the Kings 4-3 on Wednesday night.

Celebrini evened the score at 3 with 1:07 remaining in regulation. He deked his way past Warren Foegele and sent a wrist shot through traffic that beat goalie Darcy Kuemper through the legs for his 24th goal this season. The 19-year-old center has nine goals and 15 assists during his point streak.

Celebrini is tied for the third-longest point streak by a teenager in NHL history — joining Joe Sakic in 1988-89, Jimmy Carson in 1987-88 and Wayne Gretzky in 1979-80 — and the third-longest point streak in Sharks history.

Continue reading here

Kings summary

NHL standings

UCLA scores top transfer in star running back

From Ben Bolch: UCLA has landed a transfer who could hasten Bob Chesney’s rebuilding efforts.

Wayne Knight verbally committed to following Chesney from James Madison to Westwood on Wednesday, giving the new Bruins coach a high-quality running back to pair with quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Showing what he could do on a national stage last month, Knight ran for 110 yards in 17 carries against Oregon in the College Football Playoff. It was the fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season for Knight on the way to being selected a first team All-Sun Belt Conference player.

Combining excellent speed with the toughness needed to break tackles, the 5-foot-6, 189-pound Knight led the conference with 1,357 rushing yards. He also made 40 catches for 397 yards and averaged 22.3 yards on kickoff returns and 9.5 yards on punt returns. His 2,039 all-purpose yards were a school record, helping him become an Associated Press second team All-American all-purpose player after ranking third nationally with 145.6 all-purpose yards per game.

Continue reading here

From Ben Bolch and Ryan Kartje: A look at all the players who are transferring in and out of UCLA and USC in the NCAA transfer portal ahead of the 2026 college football season.

Recent announcements include UCLA acquiring running back Wayne Knight and wide receivers Semaj Morgan, Landon Ellis, Leland Smith and Aidan Mizell are coming to UCLA.

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Williams Jr., Washington at odds over his exit

From Steve Henson: The decision by Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. to enter the transfer portal shocked and angered the Huskies because only days earlier the sophomore breakout star had signed a lucrative name, image and likeness deal to remain in Seattle.

Legal action by Washington would be no surprise two weeks after similar events prompted an exchange of lawsuits involving Damon Wilson II, an edge rusher who transferred from Georgia to Missouri in January 2025, days after signing an NIL contract.

With recruiting strategy reduced to shoveling stacks of NIL dollars at players who jump through the transfer portal seemingly at will, it’s no wonder loyalty and etiquette have given way to opportunity and greed.

And it should surprise no one that the implementation of rules might be done by judges, not NCAA officials or conference commissioners.

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Can Herbert prove MVP in the playoffs?

From Benjamin Royer: Jim Harbaugh listed descriptions of his players as he looked back on the injury-filled route to the postseason the Chargers took to facing the New England Patriots in the AFC wild-card round on Sunday.

Harbaugh, heading into his second postseason as Chargers head coach, coined his team as gladiators, warriors and competitors — grappling the attention off the reporter’s question about what he’d learned from the regular-season strife and onto his roster.

“They’re mighty men,” Harbaugh said Wednesday afternoon.

Harbaugh continued: “It just reconfirms everything that I’ve always thought and want for our team is: ‘Competitors welcome.’ Competitors and playmakers, and we’ve got them. … That bodes really well for our team.”

There’s no doubt who the mightiest of the bunch may be for the Chargers (11-6) in 2025.

Justin Herbert’s 16-game stretch — playing the final five of which with a fractured left hand before sitting out last week — has turned heads with his 3,727 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns despite playing behind a fractured offensive line because of injuries to starting tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt.

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NFL standings

The NFL teams hitting a head coach refresh

From Chuck Schilken: The NFL regular season has ended.

For some teams, the search for a new head coach has begun.

The Baltimore Ravens have become the seventh team that will be seeking a new coach heading into the 2026 season. They fired longtime coach John Harbaugh on Tuesday, less than two days after a missed field goal at the end of regulation against the Pittsburgh Steelers prevented Baltimore from clinching the AFC North and advancing to the playoffs.

The Las Vegas Raiders fired Pete Carroll on Monday morning after a 3-14 season. The Atlanta Falcons fired coach Raheem Morris, as well as general manager Terry Fontenot, on Sunday night after a second straight 8-9 finish. The Cleveland Browns fired coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons, the team announced Monday morning following a 5-11 finish this season. The Arizona Cardinals announced Monday morning that they’ve moved on from coach Jonathan Gannon after a 3-14 season.

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Is Shula a shoo-in for NFL head coach spot?

From Gary Klein: His late grandfather is the all-time leader in NFL coaching victories.

His father was an NFL head coach.

So, yes, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula aims to become a third-generation NFL head coach.

Shula, the Rams’ defensive coordinator, is expected to take another step toward achieving that goal next week when assistants coaching in wild-card playoff games this weekend can be interviewed for head coach openings.

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NFL playoffs schedule

All times Pacific
Wild-card round
NFC
Saturday
No. 5 Rams at No. 4 Carolina, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes
No. 7 Green Bay at No. 2 Chicago, 5 p.m., Prime Video

Sunday
No. 6 San Francisco at No. 3 Philadelphia, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes

AFC
Sunday
No. 6 Buffalo at No. 3 Jacksonville, 10 a.m., CBS, Paramount+
No. 7 Chargers at No. 2 New England, 5 p.m., NBC, Peacock, Universo

Monday
No. 5 Houston at No. 4 Pittsburgh, 5 p.m., ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes; ManningCast-ESPN2

Divisional round
Jan. 17 and 18, TBA

Conference championships
Sunday, Jan. 25, TBA

Super Bowl
Sunday, Feb. 8, NBC, Time TBA

Freshmen landing tricks for UCLA gymnastics

From Anthony Solorzano: Her jitters came and went during the first meet of her college career. Now, it’s time for UCLA freshman Nola Matthews to focus on her training and routines.

“How I practice is the standard that I want,” Matthews said, “so now, I just need to implement that into competition.”

The UCLA women’s gymnastics team sent four freshmen (Matthews, Tiana Sumanasekera, Ashlee Sullivan and Jordis Eichman) to the floor during their meet against Washington, California and Oregon State on Saturday.

After earning three wins during the competition in Washington, the Bruins swept the Big Ten Conference weekly awards, including freshman of the week award for Sumanasekera after she placed second on the balance beam and the floor exercise.

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Hall of Famer keeps on against Parkinson’s

From Chuck Schilken: Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre said Wednesday that anyone who says he has thrown in the towel on his battle with Parkinson’s disease is spreading fake news.

“Thank you everyone for your prayers and concerns, but contrary to reports, I have not given up hope in my battle with Parkinson’s!” the 56-year-old Super Bowl champion wrote on X. “Not sure where this came from — but just like I never gave up on the gridiron — not going to start now. I pray there will be a cure one day and I appreciate you all.”

Favre also told TMZ on Wednesday: “I have absolutely not given up and I am fighting till the end. Yes I have progressed a little faster than I would have hoped at this point but I’m extremely thankful and blessed!!!”

The former Packers/Jets/Vikings quarterback revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis last year but hadn’t gone into much detail about it until last week’s episode of his “4th and Favre” podcast.

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Dodgers, Graterol avoid arbitration with deal

From Benjamin Royer: The Dodgers avoided arbitration with reliever Brusdar Graterol on Wednesday, reportedly agreeing to terms with the Venezuelan right-hander on a one-year, $2.8-million deal before Thursday’s deadline to avoid an arbitration hearing.

Graterol, 27, missed the 2025 season after undergoing surgery on the labrum in his right shoulder in November 2024. The $2.8-million figure is the same as his salary for last season.

After being acquired by the Dodgers in a 2020 trade that sent Kenta Maeda to the Minnesota Twins, he turned into a hard-throwing member of the team’s bullpen.

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THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1972 — The NCAA announces freshmen will be eligible to play on varsity football and basketball teams starting in the fall.

1973 — David Vaughn of Oral Roberts grabs 34 rebounds in a 123-95 win over Brandeis.

1984 — The Executive Committee of the NCAA votes to expand the championship basketball field to 64 teams starting in 1985.

1984 — Bengt Gustafsson of the Washington Capitals scores five goals in a 7-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

1993 — Michael Jordan becomes the 18th NBA player to reach the 20,000-point plateau when he scores 35 points in the Chicago Bulls’ game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Jordan reaches 20,000-points in 620 games, faster than anyone except Wilt Chamberlain, who did it in 499 games.

1994 — Dino Ciccarelli becomes the 19th NHL player to score 500 career goals in the Detroit Red Wings’ 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.

2000 — Eddie House scores 61 points to tie Lew Alcindor’s Pac-10 record and lead the Sun Devils to 111-108 double-overtime victory over California.

2003 — Utah guard Mark Jackson becomes the third NBA player to reach 10,000 career assists in the Jazz’s 99-93 win over the Phoenix Suns. Jackson joins career assists leader and teammate John Stockton (15,425) and Magic Johnson (10,141).

2007 — Second-ranked Florida dominates Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and No. 1 Ohio State for a 41-14 in the BCS National Championship Bowl. The Gators become the first Division I school to hold football and basketball titles at the same time.

2008 — Goose Gossage becomes the fifth relief pitcher elected to the Hall of Fame.

2009 — Tim Tebow wins the matchup of Heisman winners as No. 1 Florida beats No. 2 Oklahoma and this year’s Heisman winner Sam Bradford, 24-14, in the BCS National Championship Bowl.

2011 — The Seattle Seahawks stun the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints 41-36 to open the NFL playoffs. Seattle, the first division winner with a losing record at 7-9, advances behind four touchdown passes by Matt Hasselbeck and a brilliant 67-yard run by Marshawn Lynch.

2012 — Denver’s Tim Tebow connects with Demaryius Thomas on an electrifying 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime and the Broncos stun the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-23 in a AFC wild-card game. The play, the longest to end a playoff game in overtime, takes 11 seconds and is the quickest ending to an overtime in NFL history.

2014 — Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas are elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame, while Craig Biggio fell two votes short.

2016 — Oakland’s Khalil Mack makes history earning a selection at two positions on the 2015 Associated Press All-Pro Team, an NFL first. The second-year Raiders defensive end and outside linebacker draws enough support from a panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league to make the squad both spots.

2018 — College Football National Championship, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta: #4 Alabama beats #3 Georgia, 26-23.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

William Eklund scored 3:08 into overtime, Macklin Celebrini had the tying goal and two assists to extend his point streak to 12 games, and the San Jose Sharks defeated the Kings 4-3 on Wednesday night.

Celebrini evened the score at 3 with 1:07 remaining in regulation. He deked his way past Warren Foegele and sent a wrist shot through traffic that beat goalie Darcy Kuemper through the legs for his 24th goal this season. The 19-year-old center has nine goals and 15 assists during his point streak.

Celebrini is tied for the third-longest point streak by a teenager in NHL history — joining Joe Sakic in 1988-89, Jimmy Carson in 1987-88 and Wayne Gretzky in 1979-80 — and the third-longest point streak in Sharks history.

Tyler Toffoli and Adam Gaudette each had a goal, Yaroslav Askarov made 23 saves and the Sharks won for the fifth time in six games.

Alex Turcotte and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who still haven’t won three straight games since winning four in a row in mid-November. Alex Laferriere also scored and Kuemper made 24 saves.

Laferriere put the Kings ahead with 2:10 left in the third period, but they couldn’t prevent another sensational play by the electric Celebrini.

The Kings were without four forwards, including stalwart center and team captain Anze Kopitar, who is day-to-day after sustaining a lower-body injury in a win over Minnesota on Monday. Those absences led the Kings to play with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

Sharks center Ty Dellandrea is week-to-week after sustaining a lower-body injury against Columbus on Tuesday.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS
CITY SECTION
Chatsworth 57, Marquez 37
Fairfax 77, Carson 40
Foshay 76, Northridge Academy 72
Franklin 64, SOCES 41
Granada Hills Kennedy 70, Castaic 59
LA Jordan 53, Granada Hills 46
LA University 60, Wilmington Banning 43
Narbonne 65, Dorsey 48
North Hollywood 66, King/Drew 63
Rise Kohyang 51, Valor Academy 48
San Pedro 67, LA Hamilton 37
South Gate 48, Orthopaedic 47
Torres 65, Santee 58
Venice 63, Los Angeles 31

SOUTHERN SECTION
Aliso Niguel 65, Mission Viejo 56
Apple Valley 78, Serrano 64
Arcadia 87, Burbank Burroughs 51
Azusa 65, Nogales 47
Banning 75, Desert Hot Springs 57
Beckman 66, Trabuco Hills 53
Beverly Hills 79, Hawthorne 26
Big Bear 50, Silver Valley 48
Bishop Amat 77, Bosco Tech 37
Bishop Montgomery 73, Verbum Dei 52
Blair 91, Monrovia 62
Bonita 66, Claremont 50
Burbank 84, Hoover 69
California 105, Saddleback 77
Cathedral City 68, Desert Mirage 49
Charter Oak 50, West Covina 39
Citrus Hill 63, Lakeside 44
Crespi 85, Alemany 46
CSDR 66, Anza Hamilton 27
Desert Chapel 60, Public Safety Academy 36
Downey 60, Norwalk 36
Duarte 64, Garey 30
Eastvale Roosevelt 72, Riverside King 60
Edgewood 66, Ganesha 20
Foothill Tech 50, Highland 40
Fountain Valley 51, Newport Harbor 49
Glendora 65, Diamond Bar 60
Harvard-Westlake 84, Chaminade 51
HMSA 67, Ambassador 58
Holy Martyrs Armenian 59, Le Lycée 55
Inglewood 130, Compton Centennial 45
Keppel 57, Montebello 22
La Canada 45, Temple City 44
La Puente 57, Bassett 36
La Salle 58, Salesian 41
La Serna 76, El Rancho 37
Leuzinger 73, Lawndale 51
Loma Linda Academy 61, Mesa Grande Academy 31
Los Alamitos 57, Huntington Beach 47
Mayfair 63, Gahr 50
Millikan 89, Lakewood 31
Mountain View 64, Pasadena Marshall 58
Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 71, Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 41
Norte Vista 102, Patriot 56
Orange Vista 50, Riverside Poly 48
Oxnard Pacifica 76, Buena 69
Paloma Valley 70, Heritage 48
Paramount 71, Firebaugh 69
Perris 80, Arlington 77
Ramona 92, La Sierra 36
Rancho Verde 81, Liberty 45
Rio Mesa 63, Ventura 57
Rosemead 49, El Monte 28
Rowland 41, Northview 28
Royal 60, Grace 47
Rubidoux 56, Jurupa Valley 42
Samueli Academy 58, Avalon 36
San Bernardino 60, Indian Springs 57
San Marino 67, South Pasadena 55
Santa Barbara 77, Oxnard 52
Santa Monica 68, Culver City 46
Schurr 57, San Gabriel 45
Segerstrom 43, Orange 21
Sierra Canyon 50, St. Francis 47
Sierra Vista 72, Baldwin Park 42
St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 78, St. Paul 61
Temecula Valley 81, Capistrano Valley Christian 65
Tesoro 78, Capistrano Valley 39
Valley View 59, Riverside North 52
Walnut 66, Ayala 58
Warren 89, Lynwood 59
Workman 62, Pomona 26

INTERSECTIONAL
Granada Hills Kennedy 70, Castaic 59

GIRLS
CITY SECTION
Bernstein 41, Huntington Park 16
Chatsworth 70, Marquez 24
Northridge Academy 46, Bell 38
RFK Community 39, LA Marshall 28
San Fernando 46, Sun Valley Magnet 15
Van Nuys 41, Vaughn 17

SOUTHERN SECTION
Apple Valley 40, Serrano 35
Baldwin Park 40, Sierra Vista 39
Buena Park 75, Segerstrom 50
Burbank 65, Hoover 9
Burbank Burroughs 62, Arcadia 45
Carpinteria 51, Channel Islands 34
Claremont 53, Bonita 47
Costa Mesa 41, Garden Grove 38
Crescenta Valley 74, Muir 19
CSDR 65, Anza Hamilton 29
Desert Chapel 40, Public Safety Academy 4
Desert Hot Springs 42, Banning 35
Duarte 56, Garey 24
Edgewood 60, Ganesha 23
Excelsior Charter 50, AAE 46
Fairmont Prep 47, Corona Centennial 45
Flintridge Prep 70, Chadwick 12
Fullerton 44, La Palma Kennedy 41
Gabrielino 57, South El Monte 27
Geffen Academy 33, Lennox Academy 6
Glendale 58, Pasadena 31
Glendora 56, Diamond Bar 26
Godinez 67, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 29
Hacienda Heights Wilson 75, Covina 32
Heritage 60, Valley View 29
Hesperia 47, Ridegcrest Burroughs 36
Hillcrest 54, Perris 16
Holy Martyrs Armenian 56, Buckley 16
Inglewood 69, Compton Centennial 42
Jurupa Valley 57, Rubidoux 12
Keppel 79, Montebello 30
La Canada 66, Temple City 30
La Puente 30, Bassett 20
La Quinta 47, Palm Springs 26
La Serna 60, El Rancho 39
Leuzinger 65, Lawndale 50
Liberty 55, Riverside North 46
Loma Linda Academy 49, Arrowhead Christian 31
Long Beach Wilson 37, Long Beach Poly 27
Mayfair 76, Firebaugh 9
Miller 50, Highland Entrepreneur 0
Monrovia 43, Blair 27
Moreno Valley 81, Hemet 32
Nogales 49, Azusa 9
Norwalk 45, Dominguez 36
Oak Hills 81, Sultana 11
Pasadena Marshall 54, Mountain View 16
Patriot 59, Norte Vista 20
Rancho Christian 112, Canyon Springs 24
Rancho Verde 53, Paloma Valley 48
Ramona 61, La Sierra 21
Riverside Poly 60, Orange Vista 23
River Springs Magnolia Academy 38, Temecula River Springs 25
Rowland 45, Northview 38
San Bernardino 47, Indian Springs 33
Santa Fe 46, Whittier 35
Santa Monica 42, Culver City 37
Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 44, Burbank Providende 35
Santa Paula 64, Fillmore 19
Schurr 46, San Gabriel 21
Shalhevet 68, Oakwood 64
Silver Valley 60, Big Bear 13
South Pasadena 55, San Marino 32
St. Monica Academy 60, Palmdale Aerospace Academy 29
Twentynine Palms 51, Indio 24
Vista del Lago 23, Arlington 21
Walnut 58, Ayala 23
Warren 56, Bellflower 17
West Covina 41, Charter Oak 19
Yucca Valley 56, Coachella Valley 51

INTERSECTIONAL
Castaic 49, Lakeview Charter 18
Simi Valley 47, SOCES 36
Vistamar 48, WISH Academy 21

After guiding Dungannon to their first-ever Irish Cup success last season, plus securing a top-six place in the league and European football, Swifts manager Rodney McAree does not give the impression of a man who is happy to rest on his laurels.

The Stangmore club’s 4-3 penalty shootout win over Cliftonville in the showpiece decider at Windsor Park last May sparked huge celebrations among all connected with the county Tyrone outfit.

Now the Dungannon boss is eyeing a possible retention of the trophy as his side prepare to begin the defence of the cup at home to Championship side Ards on Saturday.

“It’s exciting, it’s strange times for Dungannon Swifts to be going in as holders of the cup,” said McAree.

“We look forward to it, it’s going to be a challenging game, a difficult match, but one that we believe we can win, and we want to progress and we want to try and start to dream again.

“We’ll embrace the challenge. To win it last year was unbelievable, remarkable, but we want to try and do it again.

“Once you taste that level of success then you want to taste it a lot more than we have done in the past. We won the League Cup in 2018 and when you achieved that the next thing you wanted to win was the Irish Cup.”

Yorath was twice involved with taking Wales to the brink of qualification for the World Cup finals – a feat that had only previously been achieved once, in 1958.

He was captain in 1977 when Scotland controversially beat Wales 2-0 at Anfield with the first goal coming from the spot after Scotland striker Joe Jordan appeared to handle the ball in the Wales penalty box, but the decision went in the Scots’ favour.

Jordan, previously a team-mate at Leeds, was also godfather to Yorath’s daughter Gabby.

Then, as manager in 1993, Yorath had steered Wales to within a win of reaching the 1994 finals in the USA, only to see his team lose 2-1 at home to Romania.

Paul Bodin missed an opportunity to put Wales 2-1 ahead when he hit the crossbar from the penalty spot, though Yorath refused to blame the defender.

“It wasn’t Paul’s fault we lost the game. People forget [goalkeeper] Nev Southall made a hash of it for the first goal from [Gheorghe] Hagi,” he told BBC Radio Wales.

The match was Yorath’s last in charge of Wales as he was not offered a new contract.

He was inducted into the Welsh Sport Hall of Fame in 2017.

England’s Harry Brook has apologised after being involved in an altercation with a nightclub bouncer the night before a one-day international on the tour of New Zealand that preceded the Ashes.

A report in the Telegraph revealed Brook, England’s white-ball captain, was struck by the bouncer after being refused entry to a club the night before the third ODI in Wellington.

Brook, who is also England’s Test vice-captain, has avoided being stripped of the white-ball job but has been fined around £30,000 and is on a final warning for his future conduct.

The revelation comes at the end of England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, a tour dogged by accusations of a slack team culture, including players drinking too much on a holiday in Noosa.

“I want to apologise for my actions,” said Brook in statement. “I fully accept that my behaviour was wrong and brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team.

“Representing England is the greatest honour of all, which I take seriously and I am deeply sorry for letting down my team-mates, coaches and supporters. I have reflected on the lessons it has taught me about responsibility, professionalism and the standards expected of those representing your country.

“I am determined to learn from this mistake and to rebuild trust through my future actions, both on and off the field. I apologise unreservedly and will work hard to ensure this does not happen again.”

A statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board said: “We are aware of this incident and it has been dealt with through a formal and confidential ECB disciplinary process. The player involved has apologised and acknowledged their conduct fell below expectations on this occasion.”

In the final week of the regular season, the Jags secured the division title for the third time in 26 years. They beat the Tennessee Titans 41-7 to pip the Houston Texans to the AFC South top spot.

During that game, Little scored the first 67-yard field goal in the NFL. He now has the two longest field goals in league history.

Last season, they won just four games and brought in a new head coach in Liam Coen as well as former player Tony Boselli as executive vice-president of football operations.

Under their guidance, they won 13 games and head into the play-offs on a eight-game winning streak.

“Something that coach Coen’s harped on is just going 1-0 every week,” says Little.

“Everyone’s on the same page as far as captains on the team, guys that are leaders on the team, and front office and head coach and coaching staff.

“When you combine those three levels of front office, coaching staff, and captains on the team and leaders on the team, that forms to success.

The Jaguars will now face the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card round on Sunday at 18:00 GMT.

For Little, it is another special moment in his career.

“This is the first time in my career that I’ve played post-season football that matters – where you win or go home. So I think it makes for a fun environment, not only for us playing in it, but for the fans as well. It brings a side of Jacksonville that I’m excited to see.”

On the opening night of Mission League basketball action Wednesday, there was a huge upset, one close call and two easy victories.

Loyola, down 16 points going into the fourth quarter, started making threes and stunned Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on the road 72-68. Deuce Newt scored 23 points for the Cubs (10-9). First-year coach Cam Joyce saw his team take a leap in ability when Newt became eligible on Dec. 26 after transferring from Campbell Hall. Randall Sanders added 15 points.

No. 1-ranked Sierra Canyon (14-1) held on for a 50-47 win over St. Francis. The Golden Knights gave the Trailblazers a real scare with a chance to tie at the end of regulation. Maxi Adams made two clutch free throws in the final seconds for Sierra Canyon. Brandon McCoy had 19 points and 12 rebounds. Cherif Millogo scored 14 points for the Golden Knights.

Harvard-Westlake improved to 18-2 with an 84-51 win over Chaminade (18-2). Amir Jones made six threes and had 26 points. Joe Sterling added 22 points and Dominique Bentho had 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Crespi (14-6) defeated Bishop Alemany 87-59. Jasiah Williams and Christian Tshina-Nzambi each scored 20 points.

On Friday night, it will be Notre Dame at Sierra Canyon, Harvard-Westlake at Crespi and Chaminade at Loyola.

Arcadia 87, Burroughs 51: Owen Eteuati Edwards scored 23 points and had eight rebounds for Arcadia.

Fairfax 77, Carson 40: Dominick Bowie had 14 points for the Lions.

San Pedro 67, Hamilton 37: Chris Morgan had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Pirates (13-4).

California 105, Saddleback 77: Jair Linares had 26 points for 11-7 California.

Tesoro 78, Capistrano Valley 39: Dean Mika finished with 23 points for 18-3 Tesoro.

St. Monica 67, St. Bernard 58: St. Monica won in overtime. Jordan Ballard scored 20 points for St. Bernard.

Los Alamitos 57, Huntington Beach 47: Sophomore Isaiah Williamson contributed 11 points and 12 rebounds in the Sunset League win.

Jim Harbaugh listed descriptions of his players as he looked back on the injury-filled route to the postseason the Chargers took to facing the New England Patriots in the AFC wild-card round on Sunday.

Harbaugh, heading into his second postseason as Chargers head coach, coined his team as gladiators, warriors and competitors — grappling the attention off the reporter’s question about what he’d learned from the regular-season strife and onto his roster.

“They’re mighty men,” Harbaugh said Wednesday afternoon.

Harbaugh continued: “It just reconfirms everything that I’ve always thought and want for our team is: ‘Competitors welcome.’ Competitors and playmakers, and we’ve got them. … That bodes really well for our team.”

There’s no doubt who the mightiest of the bunch may be for the Chargers (11-6) in 2025.

Justin Herbert’s 16-game stretch — playing the final five of which with a fractured left hand before sitting out last week — has turned heads with his 3,727 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns despite playing behind a fractured offensive line because of injuries to starting tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt.

“He’s had a tremendous season — very MVP caliber in every way,” Harbaugh said. “He’s either leading us to victory — willing us to victory. He’s doing anything and everything he can for this team, and does it at the level only reserved for the very best in the game to do.”

Herbert has lined up behind the most offensive line combinations in the NFL this season (25), while the Chargers are tied for the second-most sacks allowed per game (3.5) across the regular season.

Hit after hit — for which he’s taken the most in the NFL — Herbert rose to his feet. The 27-year-old will try to avoid another hit, in the form of defeat, on Sunday while still in search for his first-career playoff victory.

It’s been nearly a full year since last year’s wild-card defeat to the Houston Texans when Herbert turned in arguably the worst performance of his career, including a career-high four interceptions as the Chargers fell 32-12.

“A lot of teams aren’t playing this week,” said Herbert who took snaps behind center during the midweek for the first time since fracturing his hand during Week 13. “So for us to be able to have a chance, it’s all we can ask for.”

The Patriots (14-3) have their own signal-caller who has created traction across the league for his sophomore-season improvement. Drake Maye has tossed 4,394 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, a marked advancement from a season ago where the North Carolina alumnus struggled as the Patriots finished with a 4-13 record overall.

In came Mike Vrabel for former New England coach Jerod Mayo, and the odds shifted in the Patriots’ and Maye’s favor. Herbert said the Patriots are “hardly ever out of position,” adding that Maye’s week-by-week statistics are something that has led the Chargers quarterback to build respect for his foe.

“It’s a sign of players that play by the rules and listen to great coaches,” Herbert said. “[The Patriots] play together and they communicate really well and they’re a really good defense.”

On the availability front, running back Omarion Hampton (ankle) did not practice Wednesday and worked off to the side with a trainer during the media-watching period.

Harbaugh said that his rookie running back — who missed part of the season because of a left ankle fracture suffered in Week 5 — was “doing everything he can to get back in there” ahead of Sunday’s postseason clash.

NEW YORK — Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points, 11 rebounds and a season-high seven assists, Jalen Brunson scored 26 points and the New York Knicks snapped their four-game losing streak with a 123-111 victory over the Clippers on Wednesday night.

Towns bounced back from a quiet game Monday in Detroit, when he took just four shots and had only six points and six turnovers in the Knicks’ 121-90 loss that gave them their longest losing streak of the season. This time, the center had 10 points in the fourth quarter to help the Knicks break open the game.

OG Anunoby added 20 points and Deuce McBride had 16 for the Knicks, who had a 24-7 run starting late in the third quarter and extending into the fourth to turn a four-point deficit into a 105-92 advantage.

Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points for the Clippers (13-23), who lost for just the second time in nine games. James Harden had 23 points and nine assists after sitting out Monday against Golden State because of right shoulder soreness.

The Clippers raced to a 14-5 lead, but the Knicks answered with eight straight points and the game was close for the first three quarters. The Clippers were up 85-81 late in the third before the Knicks finished strong to take a 90-87 edge to the fourth.

Towns then started the period with a three-point play and follow shot, and later had four points in an 8-0 run that pushed a five-point lead to 105-92.

Ivica Zubac had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, and John Collins added 18 points and four boards.

England find themselves on the wrong side of another controversial Snicko decision after Jake Weatherald is given not out despite there appearing to be a murmur on the Snicko technology, as the ball passes the bat – with Weatherald on 16 and Australia 33-0, chasing 160 to win the fifth and final Ashes Test in Sydney.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Ashes fifth Test – day five

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SAN ANTONIO — LeBron James will miss the game against the San Antonio Spurs with right sciatica and left foot arthritis, the Lakers announced Wednesday.

James has starred for the Lakers (23-11) during their three-game winning streak, averaging 29 points in victories against the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans. He’s paired effortlessly with Luka Doncic as the duo scored 30 points each in Tuesday’s win over the Pelicans. But after missing 14 games to start the season because of sciatica, the 41-year-old James recognized he might not be able to play a second game in as many nights.

“His foot typically the day after a game is sore so that’s the primary thing,” coach JJ Redick said before the game. “… We’re hoping that he gets to the point where he can play in back-to-backs with his body, but this stretch and this month, it’s going to be tough to say that.”

James will miss his 17th game this season, putting him right on the edge of continuing his streak of 21 consecutive All-NBA honors. Players have to appear in 65 games to remain eligible for postseason awards. The Lakers are beginning a busy January that ends with their longest road trip of the year: the eight-game Grammy trip.

The Lakers are also without Austin Reaves (calf), Rui Hachimura (calf) and Adou Thiero (knee). Hachimura participated in a workout with G League affiliate South Bay Lakers in L.A. on Wednesday as he progresses back to the court.

Guard Gabe Vincent (back) will be available for Wednesday’s game while on a restriction of about 18 minutes, Redick said.

Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre said Wednesday that anyone who says he has thrown in the towel on his battle with Parkinson’s disease is spreading fake news.

“Thank you everyone for your prayers and concerns, but contrary to reports, I have not given up hope in my battle with Parkinson’s!” the 56-year-old Super Bowl champion wrote on X. “Not sure where this came from — but just like I never gave up on the gridiron — not going to start now. I pray there will be a cure one day and I appreciate you all.”

Favre also told TMZ on Wednesday: “I have absolutely not given up and I am fighting till the end. Yes I have progressed a little faster than I would have hoped at this point but I’m extremely thankful and blessed!!!”

The former Packers/Jets/Vikings quarterback revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis last year but hadn’t gone into much detail about it until last week’s episode of his “4th and Favre” podcast.

On the podcast, Favre sounds like he’s trying to be realistic about his condition while also remaining hopeful.

“As you well know, there’s no cure,” Favre said. “I hear from time to time, ‘Well, they’re five years away from a cure.’ You know, I hope that that’s the case. I really do. But I’m not holding my breath.”

He mentioned Michael J. Fox and Muhammad Ali as people who “have really set the bar high on Parkinson’s and treatments and things of that nature.”

“And I’m sure that when they were diagnosed, they thought, ‘Well, they’ll have a cure in five years. I’ll be fine,’” Favre said. “Well, that’s not the case. So, I’m optimistic, but again, I’m not holding my breath.”

Favre’s comments on Wednesday may have been in response to a recent online article that seemed to interpret his podcast remarks in a different way than he intended.

Also on the podcast, Favre said he’s in the early stages of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, which is the most common type of the disorder. He said his major symptoms are “rigidity and stiffness,” which is worst in the morning before he takes his medication and has particularly affected his right side.

Favre added that he occasionally experiences shaking but has not had any memory loss issues.

“All in all, I’m pretty good,” he said. “I would say I’ve progressed maybe a little. … If you dropped a dime on the floor in front of me and I reached down with my right hand, I may for five minutes try to pick up that dime and eventually just grab it with my left hand. Initially when I would take the medicine, my dexterity in my right hand was pretty smooth. But that’s not the case anymore.

“So that’s one of the reasons I think I may have progressed a little bit. Hopefully not. Maybe it’s I’m looking into something more than it really is, but all in all, again I’m very blessed and thankful.”

City had Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias and John Stones missing from the backline, with none of the trio expected to return to action until at least next month.

It had forced Guardiola to recall academy product Max Alleyne from his loan spell at Watford. The 20-year-old was given his first-team debut on a cold evening in the cauldron of the top flight.

Alleyne performed admirably on the big stage and it is not his fault he has been thrown into this in such circumstances, just as Nico O’Reilly was brought in to the set-up because of last season’s injury crisis.

In the end, Erling Haaland’s 150th goal for the club mattered little as they have conspired to drop six points in a week, giving a major boost to Arsenal.

With Aston Villa also drawing, Mikel Arteta’s men have a golden opportunity to go eight points clear – a scenario they could only have dreamed of just last week.

“If you don’t win games, we cannot think about these things,” Guardiola said of the title race. “We had an incredible result Nottingham Forest [in City’s final game of 2025] and after we played three games and we played really well.

“They have momentum, Brighton move really well, except the first five to 10 minutes we did really well in general and maybe the first half a little bit less – in the last 15-20 minutes we had incredible chances.

“Expected goals doesn’t give me anything. It’s how you play for goals and we could not do that today.”

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville said on Sky Sports: “It feels like a big week. Manchester City drawing at home to Brighton, it feels like another punch in the ribs.

“Arsenal will be going to bed tonight, ahead of a big game tomorrow night against Liverpool, very confident of where they are at right now.”

Guardiola also appears to be showing the stress that goes with dropping more points in the title race, clashing with Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler on the touchline.

The German said “emotions are part of the football game”, while the City boss said it was “absolutely” fine between the pair.

City winger Jeremy Doku added: “I think a draw at home is never really a good point. We are not that happy and would’ve preferred three points.

“We don’t really look at the table. We try to be ourselves and score more goals.”

The decision by Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. to enter the transfer portal shocked and angered the Huskies because only days earlier the sophomore breakout star had signed a lucrative name, image and likeness deal to remain in Seattle.

Legal action by Washington would be no surprise two weeks after similar events prompted an exchange of lawsuits involving Damon Wilson II, an edge rusher who transferred from Georgia to Missouri in January 2025, days after signing an NIL contract.

With recruiting strategy reduced to shoveling stacks of NIL dollars at players who jump through the transfer portal seemingly at will, it’s no wonder loyalty and etiquette have given way to opportunity and greed.

And it should surprise no one that the implementation of rules might be done by judges, not NCAA officials or conference commissioners.

According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Washington is “prepared to pursue all legal avenues to enforce Williams’ signed contract,” and the quarterback’s situation has also “drawn the attention of the Big Ten.” Already, Washington has declined to enter Williams’ name into the portal, citing language in the NIL contract that states the school is not obligated to do so.

It appears Washington wants to play hardball, much the way Georgia is attempting to do with Wilson, whose countersuit against the Bulldogs claims he was one of several players pressured into signing his NIL contract on Dec. 21, 2024. Georgia is seeking $390,000 in damages, pointing to a liquidated damage fee clause in the NIL contract that may or may not hold up in court.

Washington officials suspect that another school contacted Williams after he had signed his Huskies deal, and submitted evidence of tampering to the Big Ten. Tony Petitti, the conference commissioner, happened to be in Seattle on Tuesday for a Celebration of Life service for Washington goalkeeper Mia Hamant, who died on Nov. 6 from an rare form of kidney cancer.

Many Huskies football players and coaches also were in attendance when Williams posted his official announcement about entering the transfer portal on Instagram.

“To post his decision to enter the portal during the service was, at best, the result of horrible advice from his PR team, and at worst, a stunning lack of self-awareness,” wrote Matt Calkins in the Seattle Times.

Williams’ NIL deal with Washington for 2026 was estimated at $4 million, a reasonable number for a quarterback who was among the top 15 nationally in passing efficiency, passing yards and yards per attempt. He attempted to enter the portal with a “do not contact” tag, an indication he has a destination in mind.

A chronology of top quarterback movement in recent days provides circumstantial evidence that Louisiana State and Williams have mutual interest. LSU, of course, has a new coach in Lane Kiffin, and a need at quarterback. Turns out Williams and Kiffin aren’t strangers.

Kiffin’s first target was Brendan Sorsby, who had left Cincinnati, but he committed to Texas Tech. Sam Leavitt of Arizona State is considered the best quarterback left in the portal, and he visited Baton Rouge this week before heading to Tennessee for another visit.

However, Kiffin easily could shift his attention to Williams, a dual-threat signal-caller who while in high school committed to Ole Miss when Kiffin was coach. He eventually signed with Arizona, and when coach Jedd Fisch took the job at Washington, Williams followed him.

Williams blossomed as a sophomore in 2025, passing for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns with eight interceptions while adding 611 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

In his lengthy Instagram post, Williams thanked everyone associated with Washington before revealing the news: “I have to do what is best for me and my future. After much thought and prayer, I will be entering the transfer portal.”

He’s not there yet.

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Wolves are open to selling striker Jorgen Strand Larsen this month, amid interest from Nottingham Forest.

The Premier League’s bottom side recognise allowing the 25-year-old to leave may be best for all parties, if the right deal could be found.

That would include a switch to the City Ground, despite Forest being one of the teams also fighting against the drop from the Premier League.

Forest – missing last season’s 20-goal top scorer Chris Wood – are one of several clubs to have looked at Strand Larsen as an option.

Wood, who has been out with a knee injury since October, had surgery just before Christmas, with a comeback date yet to be determined.

West Ham‘s interest in Strand Larsen has cooled after being asked for £40m, and they have bought Valentin Castellanos and Pablo Felipe instead. Newcastle‘s priorities are now elsewhere after they failed with a £55m bid in the summer and signed Nick Woltemade.

Sean Dyche’s Forest are seven points clear of the relegation zone – and 15 above Wolves – after Tuesday’s 2-1 win at West Ham.

Arnaud Kalimuendo, Forest’s £26m summer signing from Rennes, joined Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt on loan with an option to buy on Wednesday, leaving Igor Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi as the club’s only strikers.

Strand Larsen has been targeted by unhappy Wolves fans this season, having scored just one Premier League goal.

It is part of the reason why Wolves are willing to allow the Norway international to leave, even though he only made his initial loan move from Celta Vigo permanent last July for £23m.

Yet, Strand Larsen is well-respected behind the scenes, where he is seen as a leader. He earned internal credit for the professional way he handled Newcastle‘s interest and bids.

He was rewarded with a five-year contract in September after a promising debut season, scoring 14 goals and helping Wolves finish 16th.

Wolves‘ likely relegation is a factor in Strand Larsen’s future – they only secured their first Premier League win of the season last Saturday, at the 20th attempt, as they beat West Ham 3-0.

Strand Larsen would not be expected to remain at Molineux in the Championship and selling him in January would generate a higher fee than the summer.